title: Functional traits and niche-based tree community assembly in an Amazonian forest.
abstract: It is debated whether species-level differences in ecological strategy, which play a key role in much of coexistence theory, are important in structuring highly diverse communities. We examined the co-occurrence patterns of over 1100 tree species in a 25-hectare Amazonian forest plot in relation to field-measured functional traits. Using a null model approach, we show that co-occurring trees are often less ecologically similar than a niche-free (neutral) model predicts. Furthermore, we find evidence for processes that simultaneously drive convergence and divergence in key aspects of plant strategy, suggesting that at least two distinct niche-based processes are occurring. Our results show that strategy differentiation among species contributes to the maintenance of diversity in one of the most diverse tropical forests in the world.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan J B
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Kraft
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valencia
authors.forename: David D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Ackerly
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D017753:Ecosystem; D004484:Ecuador; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012639:Seeds; D014197:Trees / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D014329:Tropical Climate; D014934:Wood
chemical_list: D009584:Nitrogen